Monmouth Poll: Carson Takes Narrow Lead in GOP Field

A national survey released Monday showed Ben Carson narrowly at the head of the pack of Republican presidential contenders.

The poll by New Jersey-based Monmouth University poll asked registered voters who they would like to see as the party’s nominee for president. Carson, the retired neurosurgeon, was favored by 11 percent of respondents. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was second, with 10 percent, while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who announced his candidacy on Monday, tied for third with Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, at 9 percent each.

The margins are slim, and the poll indicated that "none of these candidates scores higher than 'undecided,' which clocks in at 20%."

The same survey just a month earlier showed Bush leading with 13 percent, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas tied with Walker for second.

The telephone survey results, based on 351 Republican or Republican-leaning respondents contacted by telephone from June 11 to 14, has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.2 percentage points.